Sir, – The closure of McEwens (March 25) is a sad day for Perth.
In five years trading in Perth City Centre I have seen many independent shops go.
Who or what is to blame?
High rates, to an extent, with retailers out of pocket each month before one customer comes in.
Parking? Not really. When you come for a day of leisure shopping and maybe have lunch somewhere, parking charges may not be the most important factor.
So what is it?
It is us our choices.
Customers who try things on and then buy it online cheaper.
Customers who tell me they can get a particular item for a fraction of the price online forgetting all the overhead costs a brick-and-mortar retailer has to pay.
Customers who buy as cheaply as possible without questioning the provenance of goods.
It is understandable I am guilty too.
But don’t shed crocodile tears when another independent bites the dust. Use it or lose it.
Trudy Duffy-Wigman, Main Street, Crook of Devon.
Wonderful staff on Ward 23a
Sir, – I was recently admitted to Ward 23a at Ninewells Hospital and cannot praise the staff highly enough.
Dr Gillian Stewart and her medical team, nurses, cleaners, porters, ancillary staff, students everyone I came into contact with were professional and friendly.
Nothing was too much trouble and it made my stay as pleasant as it could be.
The food was excellent and plentiful with numerous choices, and catered very well for my vegetarian diet.
So a huge thank you to everyone at Ninewells you are all stars.
Margaret Taylor, 7 Mathieson Court, Auchtermuchty.
Politicians need to sort the NHS
Sir, – The public are regularly inundated with updates in relation to national NHS waiting times.
In particular, those at accident and emergency units.
However, there are few updates in relation to local waiting times.
We are all aware of the staffing difficulties being experienced in providing GP services, but unfortunately the Scottish Government seems unable to address and resolve this problem.
From personal experience, I have had to wait three weeks for a GP appointment and now a further three weeks to have a blood test taken.
Fortunately, I am a fairly healthy individual, but with these lengthy waiting times, this might not be the case in the future.
Perhaps our aspiring national government politicians will be able to provide the answers when they are lobbying for our votes in May.
If they do, it will be a change from the usual reply of “we are addressing the issue”.
Jack Harley, 9 Mackie Crescent, Markinch.
Indoctrination of school pupils
Sir, – I am what the polls call “undecided” and will vote for what I consider to be the best party for the country at the time.
I have always believed that our country had a fair and balanced electoral system of which we could be proud limited finance for each party community, college and university hustings, mock school elections and cross-party media discussion and debate.
A system not without its criticism and faults, but in the main reasonably fair.
For the first time in my life, however, I am deeply concerned about our democratic process.
Two months before this May election each secondary school in Scotland was urged by the Scottish Government education department to send two pupils to “Meet the First Minister”.
If the Government wants to avoid suspicion then why not transform the event into “Meet the Party Leaders”?
For many years Scottish schools in the run up to elections have held mock elections.
Pupils would research each party, prepare a variety of persuasive material and justify each party’s policies in a school debate.
A secret ballot would be held for pupils to vote for their preferred candidate.
This was a very worthwhile learning process for the pupils, allowing them to develop a range of skills and practise a number of activities.
The whole process has been hijacked by the SNP which has prepared a propaganda pack for school pupils, called “School Election Campaign Pack”.
Not Mock Election Campaign pack.
And of course, all the 16-year-olds can actually vote now, so what used to be a valuable educational experience could now become a propaganda exercise for the SNP.
I think I am justified in worrying about this blatant but clever propaganda aimed at school pupils.
My problem is I don’t know what to do about it.
Morag Riding, 50 Lathro Park, Kinross.
Protecting the welfare state
Sir, – Many middle-class Scots who voted No did so to hang on to what they have but here’s the deal.
Westminster is dismantling the welfare state along with the English NHS.
“Who cares, I’ll get insurance”, cry these middle-classes.
But what happens when the insurance refuses to pay up?
First you use your savings, and then you remortgage or sell property.
Soon it becomes clear that all you have was all you had, and that it was so incredibly finite.
The only ones protected in such a system are the elite with their near infinite funds.
Welcome to the Dickensian UK, where you get what you are entitled to as long as you can pay, but pray you don’t get old or sick or some natural disaster doesn’t destroy your home that you were sure you were covered for, or your child is born healthy.
Mark Harper, 22 Fitzroy Street, Dysart.
The advantages of staying put
Sir, – It is rather bemusing to note the Scottish Tories claim that because the SNP, if re-elected, will not reduce the threshold for the 40p higher tax rate, Scotland will somehow become the “highest taxed” part of the UK and lead to individuals heading south.
What this neglects to mention, for the 10% of the working population paying this rate, is the considerable other benefits living in Scotland brings.
For example, there are no prescription charges, unlike south of the border where patients have to pay £8.40.
In Scotland eye tests are free, whereas in England they cost an average of £20-30.
South of the border students pay £9,000 to go to university, while young people in Scotland pay no fees.
It would be rather strange that someone would uproot themselves and their family and move to England, especially with the considerable benefits here, to save income tax amounting to £323 a year the equivalent of less than 90p a day.
This election will establish what sort of nation we want to live in, one that starves vital public services as envisaged by the Tories, or one that will see £1 billion of investment through foregoing this tax cut.
Alex Orr, 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.
Councillor seen in the papers
Sir, – Since being elected to serve Montrose and district in 2012, we have heard very little in the press from one of our elected members.
However, for the second week in succession, Councillor Mark Salmond has been able to find his way into the Angus & Mearns edition of your newspaper.
Would it be stupid of us to think we are just of 12 months away from the local elections again, where he will no doubt be seeking to be re-elected, hence the need to start making his voice heard again.
Councillors who are elected by the voting public should be there to serve them for the full term of which they are elected.
I’m sure over the coming months we will hear even more from him, but will it be enough to get re-elected?
Tommy Stewart, 21 Glenprosen Street, Montrose.
Be like the Kiwis and keep the UK
Sir, – It is a well known fact the repugnance and loathing many Scottish nationalists hold for the union flag, despite knowing the Saltire is part of its make-up.
All the more extra-ordinary then is the decision by New Zealanders to retain the union flag as part of their national flag, recognising their history and the remarkable bond the British diaspora have for our United Kingdom. As long as New Zealand remains part of the
Commonwealth and has the Queen as head of state, I think the Kiwis have done the right thing.
But with loyalty to historical roots like this it makes you wonder if the UK left the EU it might lead to stronger ties with the Commonwealth and other world nations without being tied to a dysfunctional set-up which the EU appears to be morphing into.
Just suppose then that the UK votes to leave the EU, what are the SNP going to do?
Will they, as promised, have another referendum advocating separation from the rest of the UK?
I think the message is clear. Stick with the union, like New Zealand stuck with the union flag, re-establish our bond with the Commonwealth, recognise Scotland’s past as a nation within the world’s greatest union with pride and, as a united kingdom, look to the future beyond the confines of a chaotic and constricting Europe.
Iain G Richmond, Guildy House, Monikie.